Galway United 0 - 3 Derry City

Derry City went top of the Premier Division tonight with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Galway United at Terryland Park. Two goals from Eamon Zayed and late strike from Patrick McEleney secured the three points in a game which rarely threatened to become a contest.

The visitors started on the front-foot and were almost a goal up within the opening two minutes. Stephen McLaughlin drew a fine save, at full-stretch, from Conor Winn with a header directed across goal. Sixty seconds later, Patrick McEleney sprang the Galway offside trap and closed-in on goal before firing into the legs of Winn, who made his second smart stop of the game. Derry were overwhelming the home side's back-line with wave upon wave of attack and McLaughlin rose highest in the box once again on seven minutes, but this time his header looped up and well over Winn's crossbar.

A vocal section of the Galway support chanted 'We want Connor out!' as the Galway manager, who recently had a vote of no confidence passed in him, watched his side be consistently opened-up by the visiting attack. The inevitable opening goal came after only eleven minutes, as Eamon Zayed converted from the spot after Barry Molloy had been bundled over in the area. Galway did manage to emerge from their half on a couple of occasions in the middle period of the half, but a couple of decent crosses were all that they could muster. Stewart Greacen had to be at full-stretch to turn behind a cross with Ronan Cauldwell lurking.

On 28 minutes though, they should have fallen further behind. Emmet Friars surged forward from full-back and played an incisive one-two with Zayed before advancing on goal and firing just wide of Winn's far post from close-range. Six minutes later, a mix-up between the Galway 'keeper and Eric Browne almost proved costly. Both players hesitated in front of a bouncing ball in the box, allowing Zayed to steal in and fire just wide from an awkward angle.

The half looked like it would peter out in its final five minutes, with Galway looking toothless in attack and Derry content to keep the ball in midfield. But that theory was disproved on 41 minutes when Patrick McEleney escaped down the left and swung in a low cross which Zayed duly dispatched from close-range. The Libyan international's second of the game looked to be the one to kill off any chance of a result for the home side and it was a bleak Terryland Park as the referee blew the half-time whistle.

The second 45 began at a much more pedestrian pace to the first, with Galway looking slightly improved and Derry very much coasting. Indeed it was the home side who had the first chance of the half. Jin Gu Kim floated over a corner from the left which was met at the back post by Stephen Walsh, his header went narrowly over the Derry crossbar. Galway handed a debut to recent recruit Victor Collins six minutes into the half, as they sought to reshuffle the pack in the hope of causing Derry a problem or two. Nothing seemed to work though for the men from the West and the game descended into rather a scrappy affair, with neither side really dominating the play.

Galway's defensive woes continued however and they conceded a third with less than fifteen minutes to go. Zayed advanced down the right before cutting back and sliding a ball across the edge of the box for Patrick McEleney, the midfielder had time to turn before firing a tidy finish just inside the near post. It was another example of slack Galway defending as they applied no pressure to the man on the ball. There were a couple more efforts from Derry as the game neared its conclusion, Winn saved well with his legs from McLaughlin and then denied Zayed his hat-trick with another close-range stop.

The final whistle drew to a close a game which Derry dominated an abject Galway side without ever having to play to their full potential. The home side put in plenty of effort but defended poorly and were duly punished. The chants of 'Connor Out!' continued after the game from a minority and it's becoming increasingly more difficult to imagine a happy outcome for the beleaguered Galway boss.

Galway United: Conor Winn; Eric Browne, Laurence Gaughan, Evan Preston Kelly, Stephen Walsh; Gary Kelly, Jin Gu Kim, Alan Murphy, Bobby Ryan (Mikey Gilmore 54), Paul Sinnott; Ronan Cauldwell (Victor Collins 51').
Subs not used: David Cullen, Darragh Duggan, Eduardo Dusi, Oscar Sibanda.

Bookings: Gilmore (61), Gu Kim (71).

Derry City: Gerard Doherty; Eddie McCallion, Stewart Greacen, Emmet Friars, Shane McEleney; Ruaidhri Higgins, Kevin Deery (Ruairi Harkin 78), Patrick McEleney (David McDaid 81), Barry Molloy; Stephen McLaughlin, Eamon Zayed;
Subs not used: Michael McCrudden, James McClean, Ryan McBride, Eugene Ferry, Thomas McMonagle.

Bookings: Deery (68), P McEleney (78).

Referee: Neil Doyle.
Attendance: 810.